Kate Ferdinand has said she's 'so proud' and 'so lucky' as she was there to support her stepson. The former The Only Way is Essex star shared a rare photo of herself and 17-year-old Lorenz, who is the son of Kate's husband Rio Ferdinand.
He's following in his former footballer father's footsteps by playing football himself for Brighton FC's under-18s squad. He joined the team as the U18s goalkeeper back in 2022, and was amongst award-winners at a recent ceremony.
Kate was among those who went along to celebrate before Lorenz moved back home for the summer after leaving the family home to pursue his sporting career and bursting with pride, she took to Instagram to praise the teen's success on the pitch, posting a sweet selfie of the pair.
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Beaming alongside Lorenz at the Brighton and Hove Albion Players' Awards, she wrote on her Instagram Story: "And just like that the season is over. Such a proud moment watching you get your award last night. It's been a joy to watch you grow and I feel so lucky to be on this journey with you."
Alongside the snap, she added: "I love you so much and we are all so happy to have you home for the summer before the hard work continues." She also uploaded a picture of her three-year-old son Cree, who was sporting Brighton's football kit for the occasion and said: "Lorenz and Tate's no 1 supporter in his football kit!"
It comes just a couple of weeks after Kate and Rio were celebrating this week as his daughter, Tia, officially became a teenager. Fans of the couple may know they began dating in 2016 and the ex-Manchester United footballer and reality star tied the knot three years later in 2019.
The pair have since welcomed two children together - son Cree, aged two, and daughter Shae who was born in July last year while Kate is also step-mum to Rio's three children Lorenz, Tate, 14, and Tia, 13, who he shared with his late wife Rebecca Ellison.
Kate has spoken openly and honestly about becoming a stepmum and often shares updates on developments within her and former footballer Rio's blended family, even creating her own children's book inspired by the topic as well as hosting her own podcast, aptly titled Blended.
But it's clear they've come a long way as Kate was left emotional as she commemorated her stepdaughter Tia's 13th birthday this week with a heartwarming message. Kate shared two photos showcasing the growth of Tia from the time they first started to get to know each other to more recently.
Taken from the back to protect Tia's privacy, with Kate and Rio's children being protected from the spotlight until old enough to make their own choices. the first photo showed a much younger Tia looking up to Kate who had her arm wrapped around her while walking through what appeared to be a hotel.
The second shot was a recent photo which showed Tia and Kate cuddled into one another as they looked out to the night skyline during a recent break. Accompanying the post, Kate used the caption: "How did that happen? [crying emoji]" She also gave a sneak peek into the joyful celebrations through her Instagram Story.
The former TV star posted a picture of pink balloons spelling out '13' adorning her kitchen and wrote: "Happy 13th birthday to our princess Tia. I love you so much. A very special girl [two pink heart emojis]".
